Harry's POV
I head through the front door to be greeted by Ryan. I stop and smile to him as he looks pleased to see me.

"Hey, we've got a new band signing up with us tomorrow to record their promoting single. I'd like you to take control and manage them?" Ryan asks and I can't believe he's giving me this responsibility.

"You think I'm capable of it?" I ask and he smiles.

"Yeah, you're smart Harry. But see how you feel with your head." Ryan says remembering my incident.

"My heads fine." I smile and Ryan does too. "Is Steph upstairs?" I ask.

"I think so, she wouldn't come down for her dinner." Ryan says as he looks a little puzzled.

"Oh right okay." I say and I make my way upstairs. I knock on her door lightly and she doesn't answer. I knock again.

"I'm sleeping." She snaps and I can't help but smile. I open her door and see her led on her bed on her laptop.

"Steph.." I say as I shut the door behind me. She doesn't look at me. "I'm sorry." I say as I sit down on the end of her bed.

"Sorry for what?" She asks in an effortless tone. She stares at her laptop.

"For not being there when you needed me. I should have listened to you." I say as softly as I can.

"Thing is I'm a shadow when Amy is here. So, if Amy is what you really care about, then please be my guest and go to hers." She snaps in a harsh tone.

"You're not a shadow Stephanie. I was just trying to make a friendship with her so it would be good for you. I care about you, I'm with you.." I look at her and I've never felt so disappointed in myself. I want to go mad to express how much I know I messed up.

"It's funny you say that Harry." She says as she lifts the laptop up from he lap and puts it down next to her. "Because today has felt like I'm not with you. It completely screwed my head up and I started to hate Amy for being the one who has all of your attention. But you could have prevented that." Stephanie's words make me feel so small. I look away from her.

"I never meant to make you feel that way Steph. I was just trying to do the right thing." I protest but Stephanie's having none of it.

"Do you know what hurt me the most today? Not the fact that Amy had you all to herself, or the fact that I got beaten up for the first time in my life. It was the fact that the person who rescued me from those girls wasn't you. I wanted you Harry, to be the one that protects me from further pain. Instead it was my ex boyfriend." She looks away as tears start to form in her eyes.

"It kills me that Jason was there and not me! I feel so useless and I've let you down. I can't forgive myself, I would do anything to turn back time." I say desperately for her to understand how much I need her right now.

"But you made your choice. I can't rely on you Harry, I felt protected by you, I knew whatever life threw at us you'd catch me if I fell. But tonight it made me realise I'm caught up in some fairy tale that never happens in real life. You're not my knight in shining armour and I should never have expected you to be! I was unrealistic and stupid." She cries and I look down as I can't believe I'm the reason for her tears.

"I can be whatever you want me to be Steph!" I say and she shakes her head and raises her voice,

"No Harry! You can't! I've tried to think differently about this mess but I can't! It's messed everything up now." She shouts as she gets upset. She slowly sits on the edge of the bed.

"You can't give up on us Steph?" I raise my voice and she looks at me and stands up as I do.

"What is the point holding on to us?" She shouts and she cries. This girl stood in front of me is not Stephanie, she's fragile, hurt and most of all vulnerable because of me.

"Because we know how we feel about-"

"Just stop it Harry!" She cuts me off and I shake my head.

"No Steph! You stop! Stop talking rubbish about how we should give up." I snap and she looks at me and shrugs.

"Why?" She snaps back to me. "Why Harry?" She shouts as she wipes her tears. "Explain how-"

"Because I love you Stephanie!" I shout and she stops, falling completely silent.

That is the first time I have ever told a girl I loved her and I truly meant it. I turn away from her as I walk to the window.

"What did you just say?" She asks so quietly I can only just hear.

"I said I love you." I repeat myself and the words make me feel strange. It's like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders.

"Harry.." She says as she touches my arm but I ignore her, staring out the window into space is easier than confronting my feelings.

"I said it okay.." I mumble and she asks me to look at her. Truth is I can't, because every time I look at her injured face, I feel guilt and anger and it makes me want to to find those girls and do exactly what the did to- stop Harry- breathe.

"That's the best thing you could have possibly said." She says and I turn to look at her, I frown.

"Why?" I ask and she smiles softly. I try to concentrate looking in to her eyes as I can't look at the bruise that's starting to form around it.

"Because I love you too Harry." She says and I'm instantly confused. My heart is falling on its back relieved she feels the same. But my brain is trying to work out how she could still love me after everything that's happened.

"But I don't-" I stop as I don't want to kill the moment.

"Come here." She says and I move a couple of inches towards her. I gently stroke her hair, praying inside that I don't hurt her. I lean down and I feel my lips slowly press on to her's.

"I'm sorry.." I say as I pull away. "I don't want to hurt you." I add and she smiles.

"Okay well, we can save kissing until another time. How about a film in bed?" She asks and I smile at her.

"Get in bed. I'll go and get that chocolate that we were supposed to have. Pick a good film." I say as I leave her room.

I'm so lucky that she forgave me and didn't hold a grudge against my actions. I was stupid and I didn't think about how Steph was feeling. I was far too wrapped up in trying to impress her by becoming friends with Amy. I've learnt my lesson now, what will be will be and I just focus on Stephanie.

I grab the chocolate bar from the fridge and I make my way back upstairs, I stop half way as my phone vibrates. It's a message from Amy:

I've just received a text from an unknown number!
They told me Steph has been beaten up??? Please tell me it's not true! Is she okay!??
Amy xxxx

I roll my eyes and quickly have an inner debate with myself. I know I should ignore her, but I want her to know the truth. I quickly reply to her:

Yeah some girls did it to her, they were looking for you though.
You've got a loyal best friend Amy.
Harry.

After its sent, I switch my phone off and I put my it in my pocket. I carry on upstairs to Stephanie. I open her door and stop as I see the beginning of Titanic on the screen.

"I like this film, it makes you appreciate everything that you have in life. It reminds you not to take anything for granted as some people just forget about others who went through so much traumatic events. It's heart breaking." Stephanie says and I can't help but smile. Only she would say something like that. "Plus Leonardo DiCaprio is just gorgeous." She adds with a cheeky smile.

"Well I suppose Rose is really hot. So I don't mind." I say as I pass her the chocolate and I quickly strip down to my boxers, I climb in beside her. She's fixed on the TV screen and I start to get a flashback of when I was kid:


"But Mum, why can't they fit everyone on the life boats?" I ask as I look at her, shocked by the horrible sight on the TV screen.

"There wasn't enough room for everyone honey." Mum says as she wipes her eyes, she gets so emotional watching this film.

"But surely all the men would just stand back and make their wives and children get on the boat?" I ask as it's clearly simple isn't it?

"I think they tried love, there's only a certain amount of weight the boats can handle." She says as she puts her arm around me.

"Well if I was Jack, I would have made Rose get on the boat and then I'd use what she used at the end of the film. Seeing as they both couldn't fit on. She'd be safe and I'd survive." I say and I look at my Mum. She's still crying and she looks at me and burst into tears.

"Oh sweetie, I love you so much!" She says as she squeezes me and kisses the top of my head. I look back at the screen.


I smile as the memory feels just like yesterday. I don't actually mind this film, I'm not telling Stephanie that of course, but a little bit of romance is good. It's just gets to me at the end of the film when he has to die I just don't think I could give up that easily.

"What are you thinking?" Steph asks as she looks up at me as she offers me some chocolate. I break a square off.

"Just how mad it is that this happened." I say pointing at the TV screen. "At least Jack and Rose are fictional characters." I smile as I eat the chocolate square. She frowns at me and I look back at her.

"What?" She asks and I feel a little puzzled by her reaction. "What do you mean they're fictional characters?" She looks really disappointed at me.

"Well the film is based on the true events of the titanic ship, but the characters of Jack and Rose aren't actually real. James Cameron created them to make the whole love story." I say and Stephanie sits up, she winces in pain.

"So all this time I've watched it and cried my eyes out thinking that her true love actually died for her?" She asks with a croak in her voice.

"It's just a love story for the film, obviously that may have happened I don't know the facts.." I say as I think I should have never started this conversation.

"Well that's ruined it, I thought they were real people and all of that happened. I'm actually devastated." She says as she looks away. "I'm also relieved. Because that story is so heart breaking, I hate the fact that all those people lost their lives. They must have been so scared. But for Rose to lose Jack after everything they went through, I broke my heart Harry." She says and I can't help but just fall in love with her even more.

"You're so amazing." I say as I put my arm around her. She looks up at me and smiles.

"I'm glad you think so." She smirks as she rests her head on my shoulder. I kiss the top of her head and I look at the TV screen. I smile to myself.

Notes